FORMER Accies No.1 Allan Ferguson laughs off suggestions the Man Utd v Sunderland semi final was the worst penalty kick decider ever as he recalls the cup final where an incredible 11 out of 14 spot kicks were missed.

ALLAN FERGUSON woke up yesterday to tales of the worst penalty shoot-out of all time and laughed at those claiming they’d just seen it.

That’s because the ex-Hamilton keeper was involved in what he regards as the worst spot-kick decider in living memory.

One that made the Manchester United-Sunderland farce on Wednesday night look positively professional.

David Moyes’s men missed four of five attempts as only Scotland star Darren Fletcher converted.

And the efforts from Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones flew so far over the bar they were in danger of being picked up by air traffic control at Manchester Airport.

Sunderland’s weren’t much better. They missed three including a passback from Scotland striker Steven Fletcher but still managed to squeeze through 2-1 to the League Cup Final.

Sunderland celebrate (Photo: PA Wire)

But Ferguson reckons Hamilton and Meadowbank Thistle – now Livingston – should just be grateful their penalty decider in the B&Q Cup semi-final at the old Douglas Park in November 1992 was not caught on film.

Like Sunderland, Accies ended up prevailing 2-1 on penalties – but only after 14 spot-kicks were taken as Ferguson and his opposite number Steve Ellison saved 10 of the 11 missed.

And despite Ellison’s heroics in saving five of the seven he faced, he ended up as villain of the piece by taking the only one in the whole shoot-out that failed to hit the target.

Ellison’s kick soared high over the bar in the last kick of the regulation shoot-out.

And in sudden death Billy Reid – who went on to manage Accies – scored before Ferguson saved from Malcolm Murray to end the drama and take Hamilton into the Final where they beat Morton 3-2 at Love Street.

Ferguson said: “It was an unbelievable night, ridiculous really. The match finished 1-1 and our goal actually came from the penalty spot in the second half.

“Paul McDonald took it and he also scored in the shoot-out. I was a happy man because I was at fault for Meadowbank’s early goal.

“Conditions were bad, it was rainy and windy and the pitch was a quagmire.

“But that’s no excuse. I should still have held a cross that came in from the left. I didn’t though.

“I dropped it and one of their lads, Stuart Wilson, knocked it into the back of the net.

“When it came to the penalties I was quite happy because it gave me a chance to redeem myself. In situations like that the keeper can only be a hero because if the shots go in he never gets the blame.

“I didn’t expect to save so many, right enough! The players of both teams had run themselves to a standstill for 120 minutes on a terrible heavy pitch and they were shattered.

“Around the penalty spot was a mess so their footing wouldn’t have been too clever.

“I remember I not only saved them but I managed to hold a couple of them which suggests they weren’t great penalties.

“In the end it was just relief more than anything else when Billy scored in sudden death.

“I was delighted to help get us to the Final because I’d played in every round the previous year then after the semi-final I suffered a knee injury that almost finished my career.

“I missed that 1991 final so it was great to get to the next one and to win it.”

Reid went on to be a hugely successful Accies manager but he won’t forget the night he scored his first penalty in a hurry.

At the time he said: “I’d be the last man you’d bet to score with a penalty. I wasn’t surprised when our manager Iain Munro didn’t include me in his list of five.

“I was totally confident the lads would get us to the Final and wasn’t even nervous as I watched the shoot-out.

“Then when it went to sudden death, it suddenly hit me I might have to take one.

“The boss told me to hit the seventh and as I ran up, I hit the ball as hard as I could and tried to keep my head down. After so many misses, I had to take a second look to see if it went in.”

But Ferguson insists he has no sympathy for the seven who missed at Old Trafford.

He said: “I told my mates the Man United shoot-out was brilliant compared to the one I was in.

“But really, it’s ridiculous guys on £100,000 can’t even hit the target. There is pressure but at the level they are playing at, they should be able to handle it better than they did.

“Sorry, maybe it’s the goalkeeper in me but I’ve no sympathy for anyone who misses a penalty.”